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Gene Roddenberry

Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry, Sr (August 19, 1921 –
October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer
and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction
series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los
Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer.
Roddenberry flew 89 combat missions in the United States Army Air
Forces during World War II, and worked as a commercial pilot after
the war. He later followed in his father's footsteps, joining the Los
Angeles Police Department to provide for his family, but began
focusing on writing scripts for television.
As a freelance writer, Roddenberry wrote scripts for Highway
Patrol, Have Gun, Will Travel and other series, before creating and
producing his own television program, The Lieutenant. In 1964,
Roddenberry created Star Trek, and it premiered in 1966, running for
three seasons before cancellation. Syndication of Star Trek led to
increasing popularity, and Roddenberry continued to create, produce,
and consult on Star Trek films and the television series, Star Trek:
The Next Generation until his death. Roddenberry received a star on
the Hollywood Walk of Fame and he was inducted into the Science
Fiction Hall of Fame and the Academy of Television Arts &
Sciences' Hall of Fame. Years after his death, Roddenberry was one of
the first humans to have his ashes "buried" in outer space.
The fictional Star Trek universe Roddenberry created has spanned
over four decades, producing six television series, 715 episodes and
eleven films, with a twelfth film currently in development and
scheduled for a 2012 release. ... More.Less.

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